The Declaration of Neutrality of Boshen
The declaration of neutrality of Boshen is an event that lasted for a mere 30 years before backfiring on itself. The system had been a luxury capital for a while, and to maximize profits from both sides of the war, they declared independence in order to trade with both the UUR and the UE. They used bargaining and black market policies to ensure that neither side was motivated to break the neutrality. Boshen Boshen is a system ruled by a government lead by the three biggest corporations, in the form of the Free Trader Cooperative, The Green Merchants, and the Aggressive Industries Corporation. The heads of each corporation were massive industrialists, merchants, and capitalists. Together they owned every resource and asset on the planet, and used the population as their workforce. While Boshen had previously been an Empire planet, the corporation heads came to the agreement that profits would be doubled if trade could be reopened with the UUR, after they started showing signs of success against the UE. The Boshen system contains 6 planets, split among the three corporations: Boshen I and IV are owned by the Free Trader Cooperative who mainly trade their exotic plants, and have a monopoly on the textile industry. Boshen I is an arid planet sporting unusual flora that is sold for a hefty price, and Boshen IV is a medium terran hub. Boshen II and III are both owned by the Green Merchants, and both focus on all aspects of mass production, including tools, small ships, and firearms. Boshen II was once a barren planet, that was turned into a jungle paradise by rich investors, and Boshen III, is an ocean planet with an Endless "Artifact" buried deep within its crust. The "Artifact" has not yet had its purpose discovered. Boshen V and VI are both owned by the Aggressive Industries Corporation, with a focus on tertiary businesses and industry. Boshen V is a lava planet using enormous geothermal generators to power the planet-wide production facilities, and Boshen VI is a desert that serves as the AIC capital and features many trade ports, banks, and entrepeneuring businesses. Over a quarter of Boshen IV is currently controlled by the AIC in the aftermath of an old feud that saw the Free Trader Cooperative attempting to bankrupt and buy out the few remaining free businesses. The AIC denounced the FTC for their backhandedness and then absorbed them anyways, snubbing the FTC while retaining credibility. The Declaration In the year 3760, news of the Amoebas counter attack had reached word to the rest of the empire through gossip. Several rebellious thinkers had started claiming that the Maximilan, as well as the whole United Empire, aren't the answer, and will not succeed in protecting it's people. Taking this oppurtunity, The Corporation of FTGMAI had met and in unison decided that they should seperate while the UE's reputation is down in order to achieve their dreamed of free enterprise galaxy. Buying out all the the system guards, they messaged the sector governor to explain their separation, also willing to give them a discount for five years to other systems if their seperation wasn't alerted for that period of time. The governer, hesitant, accepted their decision, expecting that at the end of the five years the system's rebellion would be discovered and quickly suppressed. At the same time, Boshen sent a request for a trade alliance to the UUR. While they were distrusting at first of a long standing UE system, they accepted the trade deal while also making plans to capture the system if things went south or Boshen attempted to sell them out. Discovery The Boshen Declaration was discovered after two years of the secret UUR trade agreement being put into operation. Things became tense when the UE sent survey fleets to attempt to reestablish Boshen as a part of the Empire. However, the diplomats were unsuccessful, and the trade with the UUR had allowed Boshen to arm itself against invasion from either side. Already pressed for ships on the border worlds, and with several incredible trade deals proposed to them, the UE officials decided to put off reclaiming Boshen for themselves and accepted the neutrality. However, they immediately started working on plans for invasion should the system join with the Rebellion against them. Trade continued with both the UE and the UUR, and Boshen became a hub for intelligence between the two sides as well, being the only planet where merchants from both sides could freely trade. Backstabbing Heads Boshen's neutrality eventually ended after conflicts on the inside tore the system apart. Even before the third decade, the already tense relationships of the three corporations dropped to new levels. A war had begun over Boshen IV between the Free Traders Cooperative and the Aggressive Industries Corporation, perpetuated by disgruntled merchants that stirred up either side. Both corporations funded their own armies but neither declared open hostilities against the other for the duration of the conflict. After a trade summit, a compromise was ironed out between the two sides, but a slight edge given to the AIC due to them gaining several enterprises when a group of FTC supporters suddenly changed sides. In the year 3787, the Free Traders Cooperative began asking for the support of the UUR to get rid of their opponents, the AIC, who they claimed were backhandedly dealing with the UE to help them build up an army to be used against them and the UUR. The Aggressive Industries Corporation did the opposite with the UE, whilst the Green Merchants saw a chance to profit by explaining that everything the other two had said were true, but overwise took no sides and enjoyed their peace. Both the UE and UUR leaders, confused at this incident, sent previously prepared task forces to take over the system for themselves in the year 3790. Before the UUR left, a Sophon CEO by the name of Llo'han Gharken, had proposed to provide additional ships in exchange for control of Boshen III. The UUR, unwilling to lose an endless artifact, were only willing to give up Boshen II, which was also a huge accomplishment to current terraforming technology. Two effects, One cause As both the UE and UUR ships arrive in the system, the corporate leaders of FTC and AIC, blindly throwing accusations order all their troops to destroy the others in order to soften them up for what they believe are their allies. As the ships the two corporations neared Boshen II and III for a confrontation, the leader of the Green Merchants demanded that they take their fight elsewhere or he will be forced to respond with force. FTC and AIC, underestimating their environmentalist partners forces, ordered their men to continue. As the task forces of the UUR and UE began to help their "allies" over the Boshens II and III, they watched the scene with awe. As system guards turned mercenaries neared, they began firing weapons that neither force had seen before. Free Traders Cooperation firing missles which had a unusual purple trail, and on impact would create a huge colorful ball of energy, emitting high levels of radiation and knocking out several eletronics including nearby missles. The Aggressive Industries Corporation used a range of kinetics including: rounds that would hit a wall and fire another round inside it as well to double the damage, and semi-automatic cannons that fired huge explosive as well as incendiary shells, usually in that order for high level of effect. But the most jaw dropping part of it were the lasers being shot from Boshen III at their ships, ripping them apart at ease. The UE and UUR, both feeling that is something that they will greatly benefit from, sent in commandos to take over the planet before it starts firing upon them as well. As they joined the battle, both realised each others presence, previously believing the other were just more mercenaries, and began firing upon each other. AIC, having militarily superior ships survived for a longer time compared to the Free Traders, and began firing on the UUR. As the captain of the UUR began ordering a tactical retreat, the lasers of Boshen III who had stopped firing without both sides noticing, had turned on again and began firing upon the UE forces. Realising that their commandos had been victorious in the capture of the planet, with the support of the sophon ships, they continued firing upon the UE ships until all that remained were 2 cruisers and 4 frigates of the UUR. Clean Up Crew As the UUR strike force sent a message back to their nearest base for more ships, they began picking up all escape pods as well as began capturing the now defenseless system. First going after the Aggressive Traders who had sided with the UE, capturing Boshen II for their sophon ally, and finally the Free Traders who demanded to stay neutral. As the reinforcements arrived, so did several new transports from the UUR to repopulate the planets, most of which suffered high casualties from the wars between the corporations, as well as the invasion of UUR forces. Several scientists and engineers were sent to the planets to research their technologies, and especially to figure out the endless artifact upon Boshen III; which was composed of several underworld cities, massive factories, hydropower plants, and appearently planetary defense lasers. Results The UUR had gained a new system with reasonably minimal losses. They had lost most of their Task Force Two, which was newly made just in case they had an opportunity to capture the system, losing a total of 5 cruisrs and 10 frigates, as well as 6 sophon frigates and a cruiser. The UE had lost the system of Boshen as well as their entire Task Force Cauldron, which was composed of 11 cruisers and 20 frigates, as well as the oppurtunity for new weapon technology.